Deanna followed Julia to the club.
They sat in an outdoor booth.
At this time, many men and women had arrived, all dressed impeccably, clearly having put effort into their appearances.
Despite this, Deanna felt uncomfortable sitting in her chair. She tugged at her dress and took a sip of her drink, seemingly trying to ease her nerves.
Julia noticed her small actions and felt a headache coming on.
"Deanna, I didn't bring you here to sit around. Go meet some handsome guys."
"No way!"
Deanna shook her head, refusing outright.
Julia gritted her teeth. "Why not? Out of all these people, there's not one you fancy?"
To be honest, there really wasn't.
"Julia, don't worry about me. I'm not interested."
Deanna reiterated her lack of interest.
Julia pouted and glanced around before saying, "You might not be interested, but others might be. I saw several men glancing your way."
In fact, she wasn't lying.
To make her friend stand out tonight, Julia had gone all out in dressing up Deanna.
Deanna wore a dark blue fitted dress with a white shawl over her shoulders, highlighting her fair skin. Her delicate face was adorned with light makeup, and her black hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead and giving her an elegant and dignified look.
Deanna looked at her overly enthusiastic friend with helplessness in her eyes.
"I really don't like being the center of attention."
"Since you're already here, making a few friends wouldn't hurt, right?"
Julia tried to persuade her friend.
At that moment, a colleague called Julia over from a distance.
She responded and then encouraged Deanna by patting her shoulder. "I believe in you. Good luck!"
With that, she turned and left.
Deanna didn't have time to stop her.
Left with no choice, she sat alone in the booth.
Just then, a handsome man approached.
He looked to be in his early thirties, wearing a black suit and white shirt, exuding the aura of a high-level executive.
"Hello, I'm Desmond Miles, Julia's boss."
"Hello."
Out of politeness, Deanna nodded in response.
But she seemed uncomfortable.
Desmond noticed this and smiled gently. "You don't seem very interested in this place. Were you not here by choice?"
"That's right," Deanna nodded slightly.
She thought that by being so cold, the man would lose interest.
Unexpectedly, Desmond continued warmly, "Mind if I sit here?"
In fact, Deanna wanted to say she minded. But considering he was her friend's boss, she decided not to say anything. She didn't want to cause trouble for her friend.
After sitting down, Desmond noticed Deanna's lack of interest but didn't mind. He smiled and said, "You don't seem like the type to frequent such places. But since you're here, making a friend wouldn't hurt."
Deanna nodded without rejecting the idea.
Desmond's demeanor was respectful and his conversation pleasant enough for Deanna to engage in some small talk.
They chatted about poetry, prose, local customs, and food, which improved the atmosphere between them.
Desmond grew increasingly fond of Deanna.
He found her conversation impressive and her demeanor ideal.
The only downside was that she showed no interest in him.
But he wasn't in a hurry; he could pursue her gradually.
Deanna noticed Desmond's changing gaze towards her.
Not wanting to continue the conversation, she planned to excuse herself to the restroom.
As she walked down the hallway, hurried footsteps followed by Desmond's voice reached her ears.
"Miss Jones, wait."
Desmond had realized too late that he had been subtly rejected and hurried after her.
He was genuinely impressed with Deanna.
Seeing him approach, Deanna's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Mr. Miles, is there something else?"
"Miss Jones, I understand you didn't come here to find someone to date. But I genuinely like you and hope you'll give me a chance to pursue you."
Meanwhile, downstairs at the club.
Lance entered the elevator with Xavier, exuding an icy aura.
In no time, they appeared at the social event's venue.
Their arrival immediately drew everyone's attention.
Both Lance and Xavier stood out far more than any other men present.
If it weren't for Lance's intimidatingly cold demeanor, they would have been surrounded by women already.
Xavier finished speaking with a server and returned to Lance's side.
"Mr. Mercer, I've found out where Miss Jones is. Please follow me."
With that, he led the way.
Soon they reached the booth where Deanna had been sitting but found only Julia there.
Lance recognized Julia and directly asked, "Where is Deanna?"